Means for softening musical instrument reeds



Dec. 25, 1956 A. G. YosT MEANS FOR SOFTEZNING MUSICAL. INSTRUMENT REEDS Filed Nov. 9, 1951 INVENTOR. AL BERT G. YOST gdw\ma;

AT TOR N EY MEANS FOR SOFTENING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT REEDS Albert G. Yost, Waterford, Conm, assignor of two-thirds g) LouisG. Sokol and J ohn P. Janovic, New London,

onn.

. Application November 9, 1951, Serial No. 255,602

4 Claims. 01. 144-196 This invention relates to a method and means for softening musical instrument reeds, and more particularly to a method and means for softening reeds used on musical instruments, such as Saxophones and clarinets,

reed required. Out of a box of twenty-four reeds a very small percentage is usually playable, and .the reeds not playable are unusable.

Musical instrument reeds are precision made, and such practices as shaving and sanding usually throw a reed out of balance and therefore render it unplayable. The tip of a musical instrument reed is made up of countless number of fibers, and my invention is to cut a fraction of these fibers and thereby soften the reed. I have found that reeds softened in this mannergive a richer and more resonant tone and have a much longer life. Also, old. and water soaked reeds may be rejuvenated by first clipping the tip of the reed to remove the lifeless end fibers and then softening the reed by the method described above. It is an object, therefore, of my invention, to provide a method of softening musical instrument reeds without shaving or sanding.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method and means for softening musical instrument reeds by cutting a fraction of the fibers in the reed tip to soften the reed. i

. Another object of my inventio nis to provide a method and means for softening musical instrument reeds which will improve the tone of the reed.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus for softening musical instrument reeds which is simple in design, efficient in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and durable in construction.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a prospective View of a device embodying my invention in a musical reed softener.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. l

with the reed removed.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the musical instrument reed cut by my method and apparatus.

In the embodiment of my device chosen for the purpose of illustration, an elongated base carries a primary cutter 11 which is securely attached thereto at one end by means of screws 12, or other suitable fastening. The primary cutter 11 ismade in the form of a thin blade fabricated of spring metal or other suitable material and is provided on its free end with a plurality of depending teeth 13 which are concave and project down- 2,775,273 Patented Dec. 25, 1956 i 2 wardly from the cutter member 11 toward the base 10. The teeth 13 are made very thin, and are formed with a fine concave cutting edge, so as to cut fibers in a reed without leaving an appreciable opening in the reed for leakage of air. cutter teeth 13 are suspended above the base 10, as shown in Fig. 2, by reason of the curvature in the primary ice cutter blade 11; but, because of the springiness of the cutter blade 11, the primary cutter teeth 13 may be moved downwardly toward the base 10 by pressure upon the free end of the primary cutter blade.

Pivotally attached to the top of the primary cutter blade 11, as by hinge 14, is a secondary cutter blade 15. The secondary cutter blade 15 overhangs the free end of the primary cutter blade 11 and is provided with a plurality of depending cutter teeth 16 which are longer than the primary cutter teeth 13 and which also extend downwardly toward the base 10. Guide 17 is shown as a fixed stop, but of course may be made adjustable, if desired; and guide 17 is a slidably mounted bar which may be adjusted to accommodate reeds of different sizes, set screws 17" being provided to hold the bar in any desired position.

Arrangedon the base 10 are a plurality of guides 17, 17, in a manner to position a musical instrument reed 1S beneath the primary and secondary cutter teeth as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

From what has been said above, it will be obvious that in the operation of my device a musical instrument reed may be softened by my device merely by placing the reed upon the base It and against the guides 17, 17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the reed tip beneath the primary cutter teeth 13 and secondary cutter teeth 16, and then applying pressure on top of the primary cutter 11 to force the primary cutter teeth 13 downwardly into the reed tip so as to cut certain of the fibers therein. If no pressure is applied to the secondary cutter 15, the hinge14 will allow the secondary cutter teeth 16 to ride up on top of the reed tip as the primary cutter teeth 13 are forced downwardly into the reed to cut the fibers. Upon releasing the pressure on the primary cutter 11, the springiness in the material will withdraw the primary cutter teeth 13 from the reed tip. The reed may then be tried in the musical instrument desired, and if the reed has not been sufficiently softened, it may be replaced in my device and by applying pressure to the secondary cutter 15 the secondary cutter teeth 16 will be forced into the reed tip to cut certain other fibers, it being noted here that the secondary cutter teeth 16 are staggered in relation to the primary cutter teeth 13, as shown in Fig. 3. If it is known by experience with a certain quality of reed that the cutting effect of both the primary cutter teeth 13 and the secondary cutter teeth 16 is needed, both sets of cutter teeth may be forced into the reed tip at one stroke by merely applying sutficient pressure on top of the secondary cutter 15 which in turn will press down upon the primary cutter 11. Upon releasing pressure on the secondary cutter 15, the springiness in the primary cutter 11 will withdraw both the primary cutter teeth and the secondary cutter teeth from the reed tip. Because the secondary cutter teeth 16 are longer than the primary cutter teeth 13, the secondary cutter teeth alone may be pressed into the reed tip by applying pressure on top of the secondary cutter 15 in a manner to force the secondary cutter teeth into the reed tip but not sufficiently far to cause the shorter primary cutter teeth 13 to enter the reed. Cuts made in the tip of the reed 18 by means of my device, and in accordance with my method, are indicated at 13, 16, in Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that I have provided a method of great convenience, and that while I have illustrated In the normal position the primary and described my invention in a very practical embodiment thereof Without attempting to illustrate or describe other embodiments and adaptations which I contemplate, various Changes may "be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for softening reeds for musical instruments, a base, a primary cutter member fastened to said base and having a free end extending over said base, a primary cutter tooth on said free end of said primary cutter member, said tooth extending from said primary cutter member toward said base, said tooth being resiliently held normally away from said base, 'a secondary cutter member connected to said primary cutter member and overhanging said free end thereof, said secondary cutter member being provided with a tooth projecting toward said base and normally held out of contact therewith, and guide means on said base for positioning a musical instrument reed beneath said primary cutter member and said secondary cutter member.

2. In a device for softening reeds for musical instruments, a base, a primary cutter member fastened to said base and having a free end extending over said base, a

plurality of primary cutter teeth on said free end of said primary cutter member, said teeth extending from said primary cutter member toward said base, said teeth being resiliently held normally away from said base, a secondary cutter member pivotally connected to said primary cutter member and overhanging said free end thereof, said secondary cutter member being provided with a plurality of teeth projecting toward said base and normally held out of contact therewith by said primary cutter member, and guide means for positioning a musical instrument reed on said base beneath the teeth on said primary cutter member and said secondary cutter member for cutting action thereby.

3. In a device for softening reeds for musical instruments, a base, av leaf spring primary cutter member fastened to said base and having a free end extending over said base, a plurality of primary cutter teeth on said free end of said primary cutter member, said teeth extending from said primary cutter member toward said base, said teeth being held normally away from said base by said leaf spring cutter member, a secondary cutter member hinged to said primary cutter member and overhanging said free end thereof, said secondary cutter cutting action thereby.

4. In a device for softening reeds for musical instruments, a base, a leaf spring primary cutter member fastened to said base and having a free end extending over said base, a plurality of primary cutter teeth on said free end of said primary cutter member, said teeth extending from said primary cutter member toward said base, said teeth being held normally away from said base by said leaf spring primary cutter member, a secondary cutter member hinged to said primary cutter member and overhanging said free end thereof, said secondary cutter member being provided with a plurality of teeth projecting toward said base and normally held out of contact therewith by said leaf spring primary cutter member, and guide means for positioning a musical instrument reed on said base beneath the teeth on said primary cutter member and said secondary cutter member, whereby said primary cutter teeth can be made to cut said reed by pressure upon said primary cutter member and said primary cutter teeth and said secondary cutter teeth can be made to out said reed by pressure on said secondary cutter member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,962 Meist-er Mar. 10, 1896 579,601 Neuenschwander Mar. 30, .1897

621,767 Hachmann Mar. 21, 1899 1,177,594 Bernard Apr. 4, 1916 1,229,047 Dick June 5, 1917 1,483,910 Raschick Feb. 19, 1924 1,680,159 McVicker Aug. 7, 1928 1,936,783 Chase Nov. 28, 1933 2,017,921 Rothman Oct. 22, 1935 2,070,218 Stirn Feb. 9, 1937 2,342,836 Brilhart Feb. 29, 1944 2,456,299 Miller Dec. 14, 1948 2,482,218 Segal Sept. 20, 1949 2,588,043 Rabinowitz Mar. 4, 1952 2,591,900 Whiteman Apr. 8, 1952 

